Days 1 and 2 in India are covered here.

Sunday, Day 3 -

Today is train day.  This will be our only train ride in India.  Mainly for the experience, not the convenience, or at least we think. Wisely, Jimmy has arranged for a guide to take us to the… Read full post »

When I was in my early teens (1979ish) I was one of the first generation of post-Beatle Beatlemaniacs. I loved every Beatles song there was.  But, I suppose like many others, I failed to connect to the post-Beatles Beatles, as individual artists.  Paul with his sappy love songs. Plea… Read full post »

Saturday was a beautiful day in Dalian, China, where I live. The sky was clear, there was a chill in the air, and the intensely cold wind that will hammer us for the next five months had not yet arrived. (It arrived today.) Nonetheless my family only grudgingly started our day.… Read full post »

Some people (2 perhaps) may have noticed that I haven't posted a word about my wonderful expat adventure in China since January 25th.  The simplest explanation is that China just isn't easy to digest, either figuratively or literally.  (My last post certainly hinted at the fact that I wasn'… Read full post »

It's a rainy afternoon here in Dong Bei Zhong Guo (Northeast China). Today is the birthday I share with my oldest daughter, Eleanor.  Eleanor gets a new Barbie and a Chinese Christmas outfit today. My birthday gift to myself is to hang around our dumpy efficiency apartment jamming to Neko Case,… Read full post »

Flipping Out

Tonight I developed a cough.  Is there such thing as a stress cough?  Maybe my body is pre-emptively preparing for the pollution. 

This move is going to be slow torture. Tomorrow the international shipment goes out. On Monday, the rest of our stuff gets packed up and… Read full post »

This is not my Farrah hair.  This is my brother Clay's Farrah hair.  The woman's influence extended beyond her own sex.  Vain young teenage boys loved her hair as much as her body.  And Clay always had great hair.

My favorite movie?  Of all time?  Cat Ballou.  I know you're thinking that's just plain dumb.  I could have chosen something high brow and artsy. I do love Wings of Desire and Jean de Florette.  Or maybe a classic comedy of my generation, like This is Spinal Tap or Office Spa… Read full post »

The subject here is a debating format which might work on OS. Below is a proposed format to be used for debates on OS. Comments regarding the viability of such a format are welcomed, as are proposed additions/deletions from the below format. (You are encouraged to point out typos and grammatical… Read full post »

Hillbilly Aunt's recent excellent post about her conception made me jealous.  My parents were exceedingly square and would never have shared with me the circumstances of my conception.  In fact, I strongly suspect that, in contrast to Hillbilly Aunt, I was conceived in complete silence.&nbs… Read full post »

The whole story of how I ended up here in Chandler, Arizona, alone and crying over the death of my mother just seems too long to tell in my current condition.  I feel so tired.  I was okay for a few weeks but I'm not so okay anymore.  I just want… Read full post »

I want to post today.  I want to tell you my mother's entire life story.  I want to tell you all about the service we had for her yesterday.  But the dull ache has set in and I am forcing my hands on the keys.  Daddy and I have fallen into… Read full post »

There have been some rough moments over the last day.  I expected returning to Mama and Daddy's house without Mama to be hard and it was.  But it was also a comfort.  And I expected that pouring through her  belongings would be hard.  But we instinctively, and with an almost… Read full post »

Mama died today and I found out why she had lived through the night.  Early this morning she opened her eyes wide and summoned all her "little ducklings."  We shared an hour or so of raucous laughter.  The running joke (initiated by her) all morning was that everyone would get some… Read full post »

My mother is dying and I am constipated.  A few minutes ago,  I sat on a hospital toilet begging God to take my mother and please let me shit.  These two things would be simple kindnesses from Him. At the very least if He is going to keep her alive any… Read full post »